Numbering-machine



(No Model.)

J; H. REINHARDT. NUMBERING MACHINE.

No. 521,001. Patented June 5, 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. REINHARDT, OF NEWARK, NEIV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH I/VETTER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

NUMBIERING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 521,001, dated June 5, 1894:.

Application filed September 19, 1893. Serial No. 485,322. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES 1-1. REINHARDT, of Newark, in the county of Essexand State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inNumbering-Wiachines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon, making a part of this specification.

This invention relates in general to printers numbering machines, such as are locked in the form with the type or are secured to the bed-plate of the press; in part it relates more particularly to the means for actuating the wheels of a numbering-head, and in part it relates to the means for supporting and actuating a drop-cipher, which may be used in a numbering-head which is adapted to be locked in the form with the type or in any other form of numbering machine.

The special features of improvement will be described hereinafter in their relation to the general construction and mode of operation of a numberingmachine and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a top view of a numbering machine which is constructed in accordance with my invention and in which the numbering-head is adapted to be shifted to any desired position and to be operated by a plunger at the margin of the bed-plate. Fig.2 is a vertical section on the line ww of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line mx of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line y-y of Fig. 1, also looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is an irregular section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 6 is a side viewof one of the numberingwheels with its ratchet and stop-pawl, the shaft and supporting sleeve being shown in section and the ratchet-wheel being partly broken out. Fig. 7 is a similar View, butshowing the parts in a different position.

As represented in Fig. 1 of the drawings, one or more numbering-heads, (only one being shown) are adapted to be supported and held in position by a frame which is composed preferably of end-blocks A, A, and longitudinal bars B, B. A shaft 0, having a groove or key-way 0, extends from end to end of the frame and is mounted to rotate freely in the end-blocks A, A. This shaft serves to transmit the movement from the actuating part, whatever it may be, to each one of the numbering-heads which may be supported by the frame. Any suitable means may be employed for imparting a step-by-step movement to the shaft O, and in the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown one form of such means which may be employed. A plunger Dhavinga head D which is adapted to be struck by the platen or other moving part of the press, is pivoted at one end to the block A while its free end is supported by a spring E so that the plunger shall be returned to its elevated position after it has been depressed. The plunger carries a spring-pressed pawl F which is adapted to engage a ratchet-wheel O which is fixed to the shaft O, whereby the shaft is advanced one step as the plunger rises. A spring-pressed hold-pawl F engages the ratchet-wheel to prevent any backward movement of the shaft. The shaft might be caused to engage the wheels of the numbering-head, or the units-wheel of the series, by a variety of devices but for the sake of simplicity of construction and certainty of action I prefer to pass the shaft directly through the numbering-head and through the wheels thereof and to fix the units-wheel G to the shaft itself, the said wheel having a projection to enter the key-way in the shaft O, as represented in Fig. 3. The movement of the units-wheel is made to effect the proper movement of the remaining wheels G, G G

through the mechanism which I shall presently describe.

As stated above, the shaft 0 passes through the numbering-head and itself bears the unitswheel of the series. The several wheels are preferably included in a suitable casing which is composed of end-plates B, B, and a bottom-plate E the casing being adapted to be shifted with the wheels upon the shaft and to be secured in adjusted position be- ICO tween the bars 13, B, of the outer frame. The units-wheel is splined upon the shaft 0 so as to rotate therewith and to slide longitudinally thereon and the remaining wheels G, G G might be supported directly by the shaft, but to prevent the possibility of accidental movement of these wheels I prefer to mount them upon a sleeve 0 which encircles the shaft and is supported in one of the end plates B of the casing and in an intermediate plate 13 which is fixed to the bottom-plate B and stands between the units-wheel and the tens-wheel. Each of the wheels G, G G has secured to it its respective ratchet-wheel G'X and these ratchet-wheels are formed in the usual manner and are adapted to be engaged and advanced by pawls it carried by a pawl-frame or yoke II which is hung at one end upon the sleeve 0 and at the other end upon the shaft 0. The pawl-frame is engaged by a lever K which is preferably of the form shown in Fig. 8 and is pivoted to the casing as at 70. As represented, the lever may be forked to engage the pawl-frame and is provided with a cam The unitswheel G has fixed to it a pin or projection g which, as the units-wheel changes from 9 to O, strikes the cam 76' and throws the lever K over, thereby swinging the pawl-frame and causing the proper movement of the other wheels in the usual manner. The lever and pawl-frame may be restored to their normal position by any suitable means, as by the contact of the pin 9 with the opposite member or side of the lever K which for this reason is preferably made to straddle the shaft 0.

In Figs. 6 and 7 is illustrated the novel means for operating the drop-cipher which I have devised and which will presently be described. Each wheel of the series above the units-wheel is formed with a radial slot 9' in which a drop cipher block L is adapted to be placed and to be moved to bring its type surface into the plane of print or to retire it therefrom. The movable type-block does not fit snugly in the slot but is free to be tilted back and forth in the plane of the wheel, and is provided with a lip or overhanging ledge Z which may rest on a shoulder g at one side of the slot g in the wheel and so maintain the block under the pressure of the platen when its type surface is in the plane of print.

7 A light spring Z may be seated in a recess in the side of the type-block to press it toward the shouldered side of the slot. In a recess in the side of the numbering wheel is pivoted abent lever M, one end of which is forked, as at m, to engage a projection Z from the typeblock. The other end of thelever has a lateral projection m which is adapted to enter a recess g in the face of one of the teeth of the ratchet-wheel. A spring-pressed hold-pawl N cooperates as usual with each ratchet-wheel G to prevent backward movement. In commencing the use of the numbering-head the movable type-block L in each wheel above the units-wheel is pushed back to free its lip Z from the shoulder g andis pressed down to retire its type surface from the plane of print. This movement of the type-block throws the lever M into the position shown in Fig. (3 with its lateral projection m beyond the level of the face of the ratchet tooth. The numbering wheel in the outset stands with the depressed type-block in the line of print and is moved step by step to bring the successive fixed digital characters to the line of print. As the depressed type-block once more approaches the line of print, the recessed tooth of 'the ratchetewheel comes in line with the hold-pawl and the latter being thrust forward by its spring, strikes the lateral projection m of the lever M, tilts the latter on its pivot and throws the type-block outward. As the block reaches its outward position the spring Z pushes it forward and causes its lip to engage the supporting shoulder, whereby the block is held in position for an impression.

Whilel have shown and described my present improvements as applied to anumbering machine which is adjustable in a frame it is evident that they are no less applicable to other styles of numbering machines and that my invention is not to be limited to the use of its features in any particular construct on nor except. as indicated in the accompanying claims.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a numbering-head, the combination of a series of numbering-wheels, means to actuate the units-wheel step by step,ratchet-wheels secured to the remaining numbering wheels, a pawl-frame adapted to actuate said ratchetwheels, an eccentric projection carried by said units-wheel and intermediate means actuated by said projection to operate said pawl-frame, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a numbering-head,the combination of a series of numbering-wheels, means to actuatetheunits-wheelstepbystep,ratchet-wheels secured to the remaining numbering-wheels, a pawl-frame adapted to actuate said ratchetwheels, an eccentric projection carried by said units-wheel, and a lever engaging said pawlframe and adapted to be actuated by said eccentric projection to operate said pawl-fram e, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of a frame, a numberinghead held in said frame, a shaft journaled in said frame, said shaft passing axially through the numbering wheels of said head and the units-wheel being secured to said shaft to rotate therewith, ratchetwheels secured to the remaining numbering-wheels, a pawl-frame adapted to actuate said ratchet-wheels, an cecentric projection carried by the units-wheel, and intermediate means actuated by said projection to operate said pawl-frame, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a numbering-head, the combination with a numbering wheel having a slot and a movable type-block supported in said slot, of

alever pivoted to said wheel and engaging said In testimony whereof I have signed my movable type-block, a ratchet-wheel fixed to name to this specification in the presence of said numbering wheel, and a pawl adapted to two subscribing witnesses.

engage said ratchet-wheel and to press upon JAMES H. REINHARDT. the free end of said lever to throw said block Witnesses: outwardly, substantially as shown and de- A. N. J ESBERA,

scribed. W. B; GREELEY. 

